This episode unveils the breathtaking worship in heaven described in Revelation 5. As the Lamb takes the scroll, He is met with songs of endless praise from every corner of creation. Pastor David Hawking takes us through this powerful chapter, highlighting the joy and reverence of the heavenly hosts as they sing a new song to the Lamb. We also explore listener letters and share a special offer that dives deeper into biblical prophecy.
I wonder what would be the effect upon us all if upon hearing the praises of worthy is the lamb that was slain, if we all just fell down on our face before the lamb. Interesting, isn’t it? Notice that this is the reaction always of the four and 20 elders who we’ve already established is the completed church of Jesus Christ in heaven during the tribulation.
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Thank you.
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This is Hope for Today, the radio broadcast ministry of Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And on today’s program, heaven erupts, the Lamb steps forward and takes the scroll, and all of heaven explodes in praise. Elders hit the floor, countless angels roar a song so powerful it shakes the universe, and the praise, it doesn’t stay up there. It slams into earth, the sea, and every creature alive. This isn’t just worship. It’s heaven’s declaration of who Jesus really is and why he alone, he alone is worthy. Open your Bible to Revelation 5, verses 8-14 as David continues his message, Worthy is the Lamb. We’re going to open the mail back. Matt, our listener letter this week comes from Cameron, North Carolina. This is Evelyn. Simple note, but what does she say? It’s a real blessing.
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Well, firstly, I love this, Jim, because she says, God bless you, Pastor David. She just puts it in quotes and then she says, yes, I praise God in Jesus’ precious name. Amen and amen.
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Yeah, Carolyn, we join you in praising the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow. And that, of course, is a primary focus of Hope for Today. We often say the Bible, the whole Bible, nothing but the Bible. But if you read that book, praise for the Lord Jesus Christ, uplifting his name and his plan of salvation for the ages, for you and me, that’s our focus here at Hope for Today. If you’d like to write to us, we’d like to hear from you. We’ll tell you just a bit later how to get in touch. Right now, open your Bible to Revelation chapter 5, and here’s David to continue our study, Worthy is the Lamb.
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Let’s begin at verse 8 and look at the new song of the redeemed. In verse 8 it says, The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. I want you to notice four things in this section, verses 8 to 14. Four things. One, the immediate reaction of the four and twenty elders. It says they fell down before the Lamb. Their immediate reaction involves two things, praise and, secondly, prayer. Now, in praise, in Revelation 5, it’s interesting. It says, verse 8, The four living creatures and four and twenty elders fell down, having every one of them harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. Now what I’m going to tell you now is a part of the argument that I’m going to present to prove that we are going to be in heaven during the tribulation and are not going to go to the tribulation. So you must listen carefully. It’s very important. It says, having every one of them harps. Does the everyone refer to the four living creatures and twenty elders? Do the angels, cherubim, have harps? And do they have golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints? And do they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy who has redeemed us? There are many, many post-tribulationalists who argue that the text demands that they also are doing the singing. And they can prove, therefore, that angels in some sense can sing the song. And therefore, since they are not redeemed angels, that they must be singing the song about somebody other than themselves. Are you following that? If the four living creatures have the harps and have the bowls of prayers of the saints, because it calls them saints, then these could be angels, the 24 elders, and they’re singing a song about someone other than themselves. They’re not singing, you’ve redeemed us. That’s why many translations have the word them or they. Well, I have a problem with that. First of all, in verse 8, the word everyone is a masculine pronoun. Now, in Greek as well as in English, but more powerfully in Greek, a pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun that it modifies. It can only refer to the elders because it’s a masculine noun. It cannot refer to the beasts or the living creatures because that happens to be neuter, not masculine. So the text is saying it’s only the 4 and 20 elders who have every one of them harps and golden bowls full of incense, and only they are singing the new song. Oh yes, I have no problem with the angels saying it, for they are picked up in verse 11. But we do have a problem in verse 9 dealing with the fact that they say he’s redeemed us. And since angels do not participate in our salvation, according to Peter’s book, we have a little problem here. But the problem is answered by noticing the Greek text. Everyone is masculine, must refer only to elders, and cannot refer to the word beasts or living creatures, which refers to cherubim angels, according to the book of Ezekiel. But it didn’t just involve praise, it involved prayer. It says at the end of verse 8, they had golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. Interesting, that’s something that the priests would do on the altar of incense as they would pour out. the incense fragrance and the fire of the altar of incense that was right in front of the second veil that behind which was the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat. And the high priest could only go in there once a year. So the furthest point that a priest ever got in the daily worship was ending it up at the altar of incense where the smoke would fill the whole inside of the place, a beautiful fragrance, a special oil that could only be put together and used for worship. How interesting. And that incense represented as the smoke, the aroma filled the tabernacle as it were was rising to the roof. It pictured prayer for the priest would stand there and they took turns. They had courses or divisions, assignments, but they would pray on behalf of all the people of Israel. Now here, the 24 elders are pictured doing that. Because you see, God has made us who are believers both kings, for we will rule and reign with Christ, and priests, for we can come directly into the presence of God because the lamb was the veil. The veil represented his flesh. When Jesus died, it was torn. and we have a new and living way which he consecrated for us, into the very presence and holy of holies of God, we can go directly into the throne room of God, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Aren’t you glad you’re a believer? Man, God has really done some wonderful things for us a lot of us ignore. Prayer. Turn over chapter 8, verse 3 and 4. What is all this… Prayer, this incense going up to God. Well, as we get ready for the seven trumpet judgments, which come out of the seventh seal, it says in verse 2, “…I saw the seven angels who stood before God, to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer, and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints.” upon the golden altar which was before the throne, and the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, cast it upon the earth, and there were voices and thunderclaps and lightnings and an earthquake. The point of this is, what is the prayer that is going up? And the prayer will be recorded in chapter 6, which we’ll get to shortly, as the souls under the altar say, How long, O Lord, holy and true, before you avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And in symbolic fashion, the angel takes the incense and takes it off of the altar and throws it on the earth. The point is the prayer is being answered as God pours out his judgments on the earth. When they say how long, the answer is now, tribulation period, God’s wrath poured out on the earth. Very interesting. Back to chapter 5. There are four things we want you to see about the new song of the redeemed in heaven. Their immediate reaction, we’ve noticed, involves praise and prayer. But their continual response, verse 9 and 10 records this. It says they sang a new song. Interesting that in the Greek, that’s a present active indicative verb. It literally means they are continuing to sing. So heaven is filled with music. They are constantly singing, worthy is the Lamb. Do you know that when you’re filled with the Spirit, you have a song in your heart? And those who are filled with God’s Spirit, there’s an inward joyfulness toward the Lord. Very interesting. Now, around you, it may be very serious. A lot of pain, a lot of hurt, a lot of struggle. But when you’re filled with the Spirit inside of you, there is a joyful response to God. There’s a singing in your heart to the Lord. And one day when we get to heaven, there’s just going to be constant singing. Imagine singing and not losing your voice or singing, not getting tired. Just keep music going all the time. Now, several things I want you to notice here. First of all, there are prophecies in the Bible of this new song. Turn back to Psalm chapter 33. Psalm chapter 33 says, The first thing I want you to notice about their continual response, which is continuing to sing, is that there are prophecies of the new song in the Bible. And I just want you to keep your Bible handy right now. We’re just going to flip through a number of references, most of them in the Psalms. It says Psalm 33, 3. Sing unto him a new song. Play skillfully with a loud noise. Turn to chapter 40, verse 3. He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it in fear and shall trust in the Lord. When you become a believer, 2 Corinthians 5.17 says you’re a new creation in Christ. And out of that new creation comes a new song. We read in chapter 96. Verse 1. Chapter 96, verse 1. I think it’s important to say here that a lot of us need to be careful about the music we listen to. It is characteristic of those that are filled with the Spirit to want to focus on the Lord Jesus. I really don’t want to argue about the style. It doesn’t make any difference to me about the style. I happen to like classical music. One guy came by my office the other day and was listening to it. He says, man, that’s old. Now you’re right, it’s old, but I like it. But I like all kinds of music, and I know you do too. And those who love the Lord are just thrilled when they go to other cultures, especially in missions, and they hear music that they’ve never sung, but they hear these dear people praising the Lord in the sounds of their culture and focusing on the Lord Jesus. The new song is not a style of music. The new song is directed towards the Lord from a redeemed heart, praising the Lord. In Psalm 96, 1, O sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Chapter 98, verse 1, O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvelous things. And it goes on to discuss that. Chapter 144 of Psalms. I’ll just skip over some. Chapter 144, verse 9. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. The new song is a heart that just constantly praises the Lord. From the rising of the sun till it’s going down, let the name of the Lord be praised. Psalm 149, verse 1. Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of saints. The new song is a song of the redeemed. Go back to Revelation chapter 5. I think one thing we need to understand in looking at their continual response of singing unto the Lord is the preeminence of the Lamb. The preeminence of the Lamb. Thou art worthy. that describes in very simple language the whole issue of praise. Thou art worthy. Psalm 115.1 says, Not unto us give glory, but unto thy name alone, O Lord. Thou art worthy. The essence of the whole song, this new song in the heart of the redeemed, is the preeminence of the Lamb. The Bible says it pleased the Father that in him, Jesus, Colossians 119, all the fullness should dwell, or literally all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him. Jesus is to be number one. Jesus was placed as head of the church, the firstborn, out of the dead. Jesus was given a name, according to Ephesians 1, that is above every name, above every principality of power, thrones, dominions, whatever they are. Jesus is preeminent. Thou art worthy. Notice the place of the cross, because it says in verse 9, thou art worthy to take the scroll to open its seals. Why? For, or it’s the Greek preposition, because of. What’s the cause as to why he is worthy? Boy, you could say a lot of things. He is certainly worthy because he’s a creator. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made, John 1.3. He is certainly worthy because all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge dwell in him, Colossians 2.3. He is certainly worthy because he sustains us, and by his grace we are able to manage through life in ways that we cannot without him. He is the shepherd and I shall not want. There are many reasons to say he’s worthy, but the place of the cross again. Why do we sing this song forever? Thou art worthy because thou wast slain. It’s very clear. Look at the purchase of the redeemed. It says, you have redeemed us to God by thy blood. When the redeemed are purchased, it’s only by the blood. That’s the only payment. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6.19, Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God? You are not your own. Verse 20 says, You are bought with a price. The price was the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. You don’t belong to yourself anymore. You belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. He bought you. He owns you. You are a slave of Christ to do His bidding, the purchase of the redeemed. Go back to chapter 1 of Revelation. Remember from verse 5 that when John gave greetings from Jesus Christ, he said unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, the purchase of the redeemed. Notice the people who are redeemed. Chapter 5, again, verse 9. Who are the people who are redeemed in glory? It says out of every kindred and tongue and people, and nation. Obviously, by the word people, we know these are human beings. Those are who are redeemed. Only human beings are redeemed, according to the Bible. And notice, please, in chapter 7, verse 9, you see a similar statement said of the great multitude that comes out of the tribulation who are saved. It says, no man can number this multitude. Chapter 7, verse 9, of all nations, kindreds, peoples, tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. They come from every tribe, every people. By the way, the church of Jesus Christ should truly reflect God’s mission. It is God’s desire to take out of every tribe, nation, tongue, every ethnic group is in the Greek text, out of every people, every language, a people for himself. It is pitiful beyond belief when we somehow decide that there is a certain group that doesn’t belong with, quote, us. Friends, they come out of every tribe, people, tongue, and nation. And we ought to recognize that always and stand for it wherever. In chapter 14, verse 6, in discussing the work of the 144,000, it says, And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, chapter 14, verse 6, having the everlasting gospel to preach only to white Anglo-Saxons Americans. No, it doesn’t say that. Have the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. By the way, I hope you’re a world Christian. I love America. I thank God for the freedoms we have. I’m sorry we’re so far away from our original founders’ intentions. I love America, but I am not patriotic to the point of ignoring God’s plan. God’s plan is to reach every nation, tribe, people, tongue from all over the world. And we need to be world Christians. One of my favorite missionary stories is of the Far Eastern Gospel Crusade. For that great mission that focused on the Orient, we need to remind ourselves was started by American servicemen who fought those people in World War II but could not get out of their hearts a burden to reach those very same people with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so it was the military servicemen that went back into those countries that we fought the Second World War and brought them the wonderful good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we never lose what God has indicated so often in his word that he’s bringing out of every nation, every tongue, every people, a people for himself to praise his wonderful name.
SPEAKER 04 :
Amen. You’re listening to Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. David will be back in a moment or so to close out today’s time in God’s Word, so do stay with us. First, Matt’s here, and we have a powerful resource to tell you about.
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Matt? It amazes me how infrequently the major and minor prophets are studied in pulpits, radio, and in print.
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Matt, and how much rich teaching and faith-building understanding of God’s plan for the ages. Matt, his plan of salvation and eternity is missed as a result.
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Well, that’s why Hope for Today is all about the Bible. The whole Bible. And nothing but the Bible.
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Nothing but the Bible, yeah.
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And that’s why my dad has written a thorough study of Zechariah titled Visions of the Future.
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Zechariah is often referred to as the little revelation of the Old Testament. The historical background follows Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem and the return of the Jews to rebuild the temple. The book also speaks of the centrality of Jerusalem in God’s prophetic plan.
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And tells how this city will become a cup of trembling to all nations.
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And prophecy concerning a future invasion of Israel, the Battle of Armageddon. the glorious return of the Messiah to this earth, and the setting up of a kingdom that will never, ever end.
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You know, it’s right there in Zachariah, Jim. Right. And my dad’s book, Visions of the Future, will show you all of the vivid details, historical context, explanations of crucial original text terms, cross-references, and fascinating applications for our lives today.
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Well, Matt, may God open our hearts and the hearts of everyone listening to the glorious future awaiting all of us who have put our faith in the coming Messiah.
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Visions of the Future is our featured offer for August, and we have your copy for just $15.
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And when you purchase, please consider adding an extra amount as a donation to Hope for Today or make a donation by itself. Your gift makes you a part of this ministry. And always, please start by praying for Hope for Today. Amen. To order Visions of the Future, call 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. That’s 800-75-24253. Or in Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE, 888-75-24253. Or visit our website, davidhawking.org, davidhawking.org. And, you know, if this daily audio broadcast is helping you to stand strong in God’s Word, well, join us in taking it further. Your prayers and financial support help us keep this message on the air and online, going out to hearts all over the world. You can send a contribution to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. That’s in the U.S. Or in Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. Well, earlier we shared a powerful note from Evelyn, and Evelyn, thanks again for writing us. And, well, we’d love to hear from everyone listening. Drop us a letter, an email, or call us. Your voice matters, and your support keeps this truth moving forward. And when you get in touch, tell us how you listen to Hope for Today. Is it on radio, online? Is it a podcast? And tell us where you’re listening from as well. Every day we hear from people whose lives are being changed by the Word of God. And you know something? Your story matters too. When you share how you listen and what God is doing in your life as you study the word with us on Hope for Today, well, it helps us to be good stewards of God’s money, making sure every dollar goes where it’s reaching the most people. And it fires us up to hear how he’s using these messages to impact you. So take a minute and let us know. Call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And, of course, you can leave a message on our website on the contact form at davidhonking.org. Now, let’s rejoin David as he brings our study time home.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thanks for listening. We sure appreciate you, and thank you for your support. Your prayers and your gifts are the only way we can be on your station every single day, Monday through Friday. Well, it’s been a joy to teach the book of Revelation. I’ve taught it, I think, four times now in my career as a radio Bible teacher. And we’re doing it here again. I hope that you are being blessed of the Lord. And we’ve been enjoying chapter 4. as we emphasize the worship of God the Father on His throne. And chapter 5, as the Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, of the Root of David, our blessed Messiah, comes into focus and the worship is centered on Him. And it is a marvelous, marvelous chapter. And we’ve been talking about how we’ve been redeemed by the Lord, by His blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. God bless.
SPEAKER 04 :
What a powerful reminder from God’s Word today. Amen. Well, by the way, if you missed any part of today’s program or if you want to hear a recent program again, just go to davidhawking.org and you can catch our most recent programs there for a limited time. Next time on Hope for Today, David Hawking wraps up his time in Chapter 5 of Revelation with a final look at the heavenly scene, the Lamb holding the scroll, the multitudes in worship, and the praise that shakes heaven and earth. Don’t miss this powerful conclusion next time on Hope for Today.
This episode unveils the breathtaking worship in heaven described in Revelation 5. As the Lamb takes the scroll, He is met with songs of endless praise from every corner of creation. Pastor David Hawking takes us through this powerful chapter, highlighting the joy and reverence of the heavenly hosts as they sing a new song to the Lamb. We also explore listener letters and share a special offer that dives deeper into biblical prophecy.
